The ship, which had not left Mystic Seaport since it arrived in 1941, was towed down the Mystic River on Saturday and to nearby New London. It was the first stop on what will be a nearly three-month journey to ports in southern New England.

The ship will be open to the public in New London with a dockside exhibit on May 24-25, May 31, and June 1.

The ship departs on the next leg of its voyage when it sets sail for Newport, R.I., on June 14. The ship will later visit Boston and Vineyard Haven and New Bedford in Massachusetts.

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